Konta cruises into third round

JOHANNA KONTA showed a timely return to form last night with a decisive victory at the Western and

Southern Open.

Just a week after suffering from heart palpitations in her return to action in Lexington, Kentucky, following five months off because of the coronavirusenforced break, Konta crushed former Wimbledon semi-finalist Kirsten

Flipkens 6-2, 6-0 to reach the third round.

And after her efforts to stay fully fit in lockdown were hampered by knee problems, a big moraleboost with the US Open, which is played on the same courts in New York as this week’s event, and which begins on Monday.

“Obviously I’m really pleased to have gotten a win,” she said. “The first one since Monterrey, which was six months ago, a long time ago. I’m definitely pleased to have set up another opportunity for me to play tomorrow.

Konta added she was “making ground” in terms of her rehabilitation process with her knee.

“It’s not a straightforward injury where you take time out, you rehabilitate it, you come back, and you’re good to go,” she said.

“These sorts of tendon issues, they can take years of just constant management and constant strengthening of it.”

Konta will play former world No 2 Vera Zvonareva, who yesterday beat Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-1.

While Andy Murray was due to play his secondround match against the No 5 seed Sascha Zverev last night, Dan Evans will have to wait for his first back-toback wins at a Masters

1000 after he was outgunned 6-3, 7-5 by Canada’s Milos Raonic.

The former world No 3, now ranked No 30 after injury, dropped just four points on his first serve and didn’t concede a single break point.

One break in each set was enough to give Raonic victory while Evans will now prepare for the US Open.